Ukrainian civilians reportedly kill Russian troops with poisoned buns and alcohol

At least two Russian troops died and many more grew severely ill after reportedly consuming poisoned food and drink served by civilians in the Ukrainian town of Izium, officials said on Saturday. Photo from the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry via Facebook.

April 2 (UPI) -- Multiple Russian soldiers died and many more grew ill after being served poisoned food and alcohol in the Ukrainian town of Izium, officials said on Saturday. At least two troops of 3rd Motor Rifle Division of the Russian Federation immediately died after eating stuffed buns from residents of Izium, a town located southeast of Kharkiv, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine said in a statement on Facebook. Another 28 soldiers who ate the poisoned buns have been hospitalized. Advertisement

Ukrainian government officials also said that around 500 Russian troops occupying the town grew extremely ill after consuming poisoned alcohol.

According to the Facebook post, the Russian government is classifying the cases as "so-called 'non-combat losses.'"

The poisoned libations are one of multiple unorthodox strategies employed by Ukraine's scrappy resistance, which has largely been led by civilians. One form of defense against invading Russian forces included a Kyiv woman who downed a suspicious drone by hurtling a can of tomatoes at it.

Last week, NATO estimated that between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian troops have died and up to 40,000 have been killed or injured in the first month of the Ukraine invasion, CNBC reported.

The Office of the High Commission of Human Rights reported that 902 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and 1,459 have been injured as of March 20, though the office also warned that the actual numbers are likely much higher.